THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



83 



species of these extraordinary birds, and 

 the habits of some of them are absolutely 

 entirely unknown to science. Hornbills 

 have another very peculiar habit, and it 

 has been briefly described by my friend 

 Professor Alfred Newton, F. R. S., on 

 page 437 of the Dictionary of Birds (part 

 II.). He says, "the fact that Hornbills at 

 intervals of time, whether periodical or 

 irregular is not yet known, cast the epi- 

 thelial layer of the gizzard, that layer being 

 formed by a secretion derived from the 

 glands of the proven triculus or some upper 

 part of the alimentary canal. The epithe- 

 lium is ejected in the form of a sack or 

 bag, the mouth of which is closely folded, 

 and is filled with the fruit that the bird has 

 been eating. The announcement of a 

 circumstance so extraordinary naturally 

 caused some hesitation in its acceptance, 

 but the essential truth of Mr. Bartlett's 

 observations has been abundantly confirmed 

 by Professor Flower, and especially by 

 Dr. Murie, and what seems now to be 

 most wanted is to know whether these 

 castings are really intended to form the 

 hen-bird's food during her confinement." 



Birds of this group are very large and 

 bulky in form, and for some reason have 

 never been looked upon with favor by 

 collectors, and this fact, in part, accounts 

 for our meagre stock of knowledge of 

 them. It is to be hoped, however, that 

 future explorers in India and the East 

 Indies will pay especial attention to the 

 Hornbills, collecting as many of them as 

 possible with their eggs and young, and 

 upon returning home to be as particular 

 as possible to bring along a full series of 

 them in alcohol — one of each species which 

 they have been fortunate enough to obtain. 



• EARLY FINDS. 



William h. Kells writes from lyistowell, 

 Ont., under date of February 16 : "Horned 

 Larks ^made their appearance here on the 

 7th instant, and Crows on the 8th. A 

 Swallow-tailed Kite was observed here on 

 November 1 7th, the first ever seen in this 

 vicinity, and a Winter Wren on the i8th 

 of January. Very cold now." 



The collecting season of '94 in California 

 seems to be an early one. Otto Emerson 

 writes us from Haywards : The ball 

 opened for nidiologists, season of '94, out 

 here February 4, with the find of eggs of 

 the little Fa/co spaveriiis, American Sparrow 

 Hawk, on a hillside in a hollow limb of a 

 live oak. How is that for Midwinter Fair 

 weather, while our Eastern cousins are 

 snowed under in a blizzard." This is 

 certainly unprecedented early nesting for 

 the Sparrow Hawk. 



On February 2 Mr. H. R. Painton of 

 College Park took a nest and two fresh 

 eggs of Anna's Hummingbird, and Mr. 

 Barlow also took a set on the eleventh 

 near Mt. View and found another old nest 

 which was being repaired. The nest taken 

 by Mr. Barlow is an odd one, being com- 

 posed largely of the delicate blue feather of 

 the Bluebird. He writes : "I notice that 

 these Hummers which nest early almost 

 invariably build their nests on the east side 

 of cypress trees, probably as a protection 

 and to catch the morning sun." 



Messrs. Williamson & Chadwick are mak- 

 ing it lively for the birds in Kansas. Under 

 date of February 6, they state they have 

 already taken six sets of two of the Great 

 Horned Owl. 



SANDPIPERS THAT SWIM. 



In Mr. Cohen's article, "Do Wading 

 Bird's Swim, ' ' in the January Nidiologist, 

 he asks for the observations of others on 

 the subject. I would say that I have seen 

 a young Spotted Sandpiper swim. Some 

 three or four years ago a friend and my- 

 self came across a Spotted Sandpiper, 

 which was too young to fly, on a point of 

 land formed by a creek emptying into the 

 Otselic River. My friend tried to catch 

 the bird, but it ran along the edge of the 

 stream, until, finding escape impossible 

 that way, it took to the water and swam 

 quite rapidly across the creek, a distance of 

 twenty feet. H. C. Higgins. 



Cincinnatus, N. V. 



